The Polytunnel

I purchased a 10ft by 6ft polytunnel two years ago when we moved in to this house. It hasn’t been particular successful so far but maybe I haven’t given it a chance. The first year I positioned it in the wrong place so it wasn’t getting enough sun. This led to a mass of foliage but very little fruit. The area was so sunny when I put the polytunnel up at the start of spring. I should have realised the trees wouldn’t stay leafless all year.

Last year the polytunnel was moved closer to the house into an area where it would receive more sun. This was definitely better but the circumstance intervened and the polytunnel, and the garden was abandoned.

The plan is to concentrate on getting a good crop from these this year then expanding next year.

I have also levelled the ground in the polytunnel and added gravel. I think the capillary matting I had put in last year was making the condensation problem worse. Condensation is particularly a problem with my polytunnel. Water also seeps in when it rains. Possibly a better quality polytunnel would help with this.

The capillary matting in the greenhouse

The matting has been replaced by Gravel

I have been considering replacing the polytunnel with a greenhouse. My biggest concern is the tall trees in the surrounding garden and the amount of branches that blow off them in a storm. Would these damage the glass or would toughened grass survive. The other option would be to buy a better polytunnel. This would be more water tight and would hopefully be less opaque.

On the other hand a greenhouse would be:-

Productive longer due to letting in more light.

It would not leak. A new polytunnel might resolve this.

Look better in the garden.

I would be able to see out. (Although people would notice if I’m asleep in there.)

Do you have any experience of a polytunnel? Would a greenhouse be better?

We moved into this house in 2013. At that time the garden was a blank canvas, This blog is a scrapbook of my gardening journey. Something I can look back on and remember the highs and lows, something that perhaps other people will enjoy reading and hopefully commenting on along the way.